Green Thumb Tuesday: Help your community blossom by becoming a garden steward

Garden stewards are dedicated volunteers who agree to take charge of the maintenance and general appearance of a Western Pennsylvania Conservancy garden site. Garden stewards:

• work closely with WPC staff to coordinate the May planting
• agree on a date and time, recruit additional volunteers, and
• oversee the day's activities.

In addition, the garden steward is responsible for the overall appearance of the garden throughout the May-October season. Watering, weeding and general upkeep are needed on a regular basis to keep the garden looking its best. Gardens are located in neighborhoods, major intersections and along highway corridors.

Garden Stewards:

1. get to enjoy the outdoors
2. get exercise without even realizing it
3. get to meet others with similar interests
4. and, most importantly, they can feel good knowing they've done their part to help beautify their neighborhoods

While recruiting student volunteers for her community garden team, Georgia Jenkins, a long-time Garden Steward in East Liberty, said, “This is your home and you need to make something of it.” With Georgia's encouragement, the students worked hard and, at day's end, felt a sense of pride in their accomplishments.

Today's WPC Daily shows volunteers planting one of WPC's two gardens in Oil City in May, 2003.

If you would like more information about becoming a Garden Steward, or volunteering for one-day plantings, contact Marianne Cola at (412) 586-2324 or mcola@paconserve.org.

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